Carinae Sector: 02 - Admiral's Fury - Part 2 - Hidden Menace (11 page)

‘Now the Barede humans have settled on over a dozen outer worlds and they plan to settle several more as they progress back into the galaxy.’

The fleet master made a comment out of exasperation as he continued to evaluate the progress of the colonists.

‘So it appears we have become complacent after the Barus identified that these humans are both short lived and technologically inferior to the vassal races. This is almost a replay of how your own race went wrong before their downfall at the hands of the Zronte and the Vorinne. The colonists have gone from twelve million to around ninety million in one hundred and fifty years. We are active in the outer zones with projects of our own, so we will have to increase our exploration efforts in these zones further.’

The assault leader had made a careful calculation that she also shared.

‘So assuming that one in ten are capable warriors then they already have an armed force of nine million. Now that is before we add the probably larger population of the human home world.’

The Cephrit fleet master had stopped tasting the human food as he suddenly found he had lost his appetite. Narindestat offered a brief statement of his own as he noted the sudden anxiety of the Cephrit.

‘We felt that we had to mention this to you fleet master. We ourselves have had limited success influencing the human leaders and we seek your assistance.’

The fleet master first reassured the Trader captain as he considered this information, before he asked a couple of questions.

‘Narindestat, you are wise to bring this to our attention, otherwise the Vorinne would have intervened with tragic consequences for the humans. Now surely the Maveen have had an influence on the Barede colonists? For I cannot see them lightly handing over sanctuary worlds. Also how have the Barede humans developed in terms of weaponry?’

Captain Narindestat had considered both these questions during his long journey and he had no trouble in replying.

‘The Maveen have threatened the colonists on a few occasions for breaking their instructions on protecting ecologies. But the problem is that the humans do not seem to listen, even with the threats consisting of ordering the humans off at least two of the sanctuary worlds. The weaponry of the humans is progressing well and they could be a threat to even us in a few hundred years.’

A lengthy technical question and answer session now developed between the Trader and the Cephrit, as the fleet master attempted to understand the threat potential of the humans. The fleet master picked up his own hologram after the assault leader emptied her storage pouch, and he began by giving a recent account from a Cephrit scout ship.

‘The humans from Earth have come in force to the former Dradfer colonies. Now this is footage of the one of the actual battles between their destroyers and the Jerecab armada. You will notice that these ships gave a very good account of themselves despite being from a supposedly primitive race.’

Narindestat watched in a mixture of pride and sorrow as a cornered Earth destroyer was attacked by several Jerecab frigates, before being destroyed even as other destroyers came to her aid. The frigates in turn were badly beaten by the human destroyers. He noted that the human ships looked like and fought like sneak ships, even if they appeared considerably larger.

The fleet master froze the display with a destroyer in the act of firing her main weapon. He gave a chirr of consternation as he spoke again.

‘Now this spinal mount weapon of theirs is a real concern, as is the way they fight their battles. I consider those forty or so destroyers would be enough to take down either a Barus cruiser squadron or possibly even a Trader wing ship.’

Narindestat studied the power readings associated with the displayed ship, before he ventured a pithy observation and a couple of questions.

‘The Barede colonists are not yet as well armed, though they so also seem very innovative. So now you are starting to get worried about a human population wave supported by hundreds of these powerful small ships? Surely you over estimate the humans as they have to first survive the Jerecab armada?’

The fleet master now hauled up a series of older Barus reports, including ones from his old friend Omerio, before he answered the Trader’s questions.

‘Well apart from the Barus reports, we are worn down defeating the Tilmud. If the Jerecab eliminate the humans they are possibly doing us a favour in the long term despite what the edicts tell us.’

Narindestat brought the focus of their discussion back to his own hologram, and he made a series of changes in vassal territories based on a probable Jerecab victory. For good measure he rotated the outcome in 3D and he knew that he was getting through to the fleet master.

‘So the potential balancing role of the humans is lost, the Jerecab have the entire spiral arm in the direction of Earth. Plus they have boxed the Tilmud completely against your inner flank and you know what they say about a cornered Tilmud. Basically I think your whole new détente strategy with the Zronte is invalid once the humans are defeated.’

The fleet master was ready with his own reply, for he was still concerned about the humans. The Cephrit’s chirr though became hesitant as he trailed off the second sentence.

‘Narindestat, we risk a serious war and we become trapped versus the later threat of a war of annihilation with the humans. Surely if we face attack the Deltas Vass will constrain the other vassal races under the edicts….’

Narindestat did not bother replying with the observation that long ago the Deltas Vass had stood by while the Traders had been exiled, for he could see the fleet master was now engrossed in his own data tablet. The captain merely changed the subject as he now spoke diplomatically.

‘We will attack the Jerecab supply lines as we leave the inner systems. We can safely do this providing we do not engage the armada itself. I recommend that you take at least a cruiser squadron to the Dradfer worlds as soon as possible.’

The fleet master remained silent for several moments as he continued to run simulations through both his mind and his data tablet. He chirred in consternation and gave his data tablet to the assault leader for her input. After several more moments the assault leader gave a soft chirr of agreement and the fleet master now answered Narindestat.

‘Narindestat, please do not enter the human solar system as it will only complicate matters as I mentioned earlier. Now I recommend you interdict the Dradfer three star system, the one the humans call Gold. Also get a message to them that the other vassal races are amassing a fleet in response and they must hang on. We will bring at least two squadrons and the assault leader will bring her special forces.’

The two friends sat back to enjoy the rest of the meal together in companionable silence. Narindestat also got the opportunity to explain how the short life span of the humans affected the Traders. The fleet master was silent for several moments as he considered this snippet of detail, before offering a compassionate reply.

‘Yes old friend, I can see now that this could a problem with your friendship bonding psychology. I anticipate that the Traders will have to find their own worlds to settle many light years distant from the humans.’

Narindestat gave a start as he considered the empathic nature of the friendship between the Cephrit and the Traders. He quickly discarded providing any specific colony information, not that he had any to begin with, before making a short but genial reply of his own.

‘We can look into forming colonies again as it gives us something to do while we await your summons.’

The male Cephrit gave chirrs of delight in appreciation of his protégé’s dry humour, and Narindestat took the opportunity to finish the meal. He then quickly donned a Waldo unit secured to the front of the cargo hold. Garendestat was soon inside the second Waldo unit, and both Traders rapidly emptied the sneak ship of her cargo.

Narindestat noted that the assault leader had called forward one of her platoons as he later extracted himself from the Waldo unit once back inside the cargo hold. He watched in approval as the Cephrit marines rolled camouflage nets over the equipment before taking up guard positions he knew they would defend with their lives.

The Trader captain strode down the ramp once again to farewell both the Cephrit. He bowed and the fleet master once again repeated his key instructions.

‘Farewell Narindestat of the house of Skanor. Pressure the Maveen into more overt actions of control over the humans. Also you will engage the Jerecab supply lines, but at all costs do not enter the human home system. We will be in contact, but at much a later stage.’

Narindestat quickly took his leave by offering his gratitude and a series of full bows.

‘You honour the Traders with your instructions great master. Farewell and we will strike a blow for both human and Cephrit survival very soon.’

Garendestat was already well into the launch sequence as Narindestat secured himself into the co-pilot’s chair. After the flurry of dust settled from the launch, the two senior Cephrit ignored the junior marines guarding their position as they spoke quietly between themselves.

‘Fleet master, the greater scope of Narindestat’s advice is compelling. Also I consider that he was being evasive towards the end of the meal.’

The fleet master regarded his mate of record with approval as he replied.

‘The galaxy is changing assault leader, and we have to change with it or risk becoming extinct. We will have to send our scouts out into the outer zones as soon as possible. The Traders are possibly establishing colonies in the outer reaches of the galaxy and that is not before time. Now let us leave and summon our forces to rescue those humans.’

The sneak ship soon reached the Resuria in high orbit and the other three sneak ships also docked in quick succession, with the main ship dropping her cloak and shields to aid in the docking. Narindestat noticed that a Cephrit lifter was now heading for the landing site and he knew that his mentor was not wasting any more time. What the Trader captain did not notice was a small scout ship hidden many millions of kilometres way in the outer asteroid belt. After the Cephrit lifter had entered the atmosphere, and long after the Trader ship had left, the scout ship quickly fled the remote star system via a different hyper space jump point.

                                                                     ***

Chapter 6

The Fenshilla commandant wasted no time in dropping to the floor in obedience as he knew that this was expected of him. Across the video link Lord Temeroth silently regarded him with malice, and the commandant had the sense to remain quiet. The Zronte Battle Lord addressed him in a guttural rumble that more than hinted at the Zronte’s contempt towards the Fenshilla.

‘I provide you with several powerful ships and yet you dither amongst these worlds pirating ships from the lesser vassal races. Even amongst your own race you are regarded as the lowest of the low and I am questioning my involvement in your cause. If you wish to do something useful you could always attack that Jerecab armada, thereby giving me a quicker return on my investment in you.’

The Fenshilla commandant knew about the size of the armada and he wanted nothing to do with it in any case. He remained silent as he knew the Zronte was in no mood to be trifled with at all. His instincts proved correct as the Zronte rumbled further instructions.

‘You will interdict the former Dradfer colonies as you see fit. Human or Jerecab, I don’t care, I want them killed off. If you see Maveen or Traders you are to immediately engage them, noting that they are usually either Maveen probe clusters or single Trader wing ships. Above all, I want useful intelligence of collusion, especially between the Traders, the Maveen and the Cephrit.’

The commandant took the opportunity to reassure the Zronte lord.

‘Your majesty it will be as you have instructed. We will concentrate on both the Maveen and the Traders as we find them. Note that we were driven away by a Vorinne force of ships recently and we advised them that we would not be returning to this area.’

The Zronte lord’s interest was aroused and he gave a low rumbling note of menace that was not lost on the Fenshilla as it echoed across the video link. The commandant again noted the fearsome teeth of the adult male Zronte as he tried to provide further information. He even sent the coordinates of his last meeting with the Vorinne.

‘Your majesty, the six Vorinne cruisers attempted to attack us. But then they later appeared to be relieved that we would not give battle. My intelligence places second envoy Thatak’siema aboard the lead Vorinne ship under the command of Lord Malang’troh.’

The Fenshilla Commandant noted that only silence came from the video link and he dared not risk even looking up, before the communications office gave a nervous report.

‘Commandant, the Zronte have broken off communicating and are now withdrawing from the star system.’

The commandant ignored the anxious glances of his junior officers as he slid back onto his command couch. He quickly keyed the sensor screen and noted that the twelve large Zronte battle cruisers were indeed leaving the system. He then forced himself to project calm as he made a brief attempt at reassuring his officers.

‘Temeroth leaves to grace the Vorinne with his mercies. We should rejoice for we live another day.’

The commandant was not concerned that his officers rolled their eyes at his feeble wit. He was more concerned about meeting the Maveen if he managed to corner a Trader ship. He sat back to consider this possibility with a seed of an idea in his mind. The commandant was still thinking quietly an hour later, just after the last Zronte ship had finally left, when the last of his scout ships returned and made an urgent report. The commandant viewed the information with surprise for only seconds before issuing a series of commands. A series of flashes of light soon occurred as the Fenshilla squadron left for the former Dradfer colonies.

                                                                     ***